Earl Sydney
Encyclopedia
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
. It was created in 1874 for the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician John Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney
John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney
John Robert Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney GCB, PC , known as The Viscount Sydney between 1831 and 1874, was a British Liberal politician...
. He notably served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household and as Lord Steward of the Household. On his death in 1890 all his titles became extinct. The titles of Baron Sydney, of Chiselhurst in the County of Kent, and Viscount Sydney were created in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
in 1783 and 1789, respectively, for the politician Thomas Townshend
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney PC , was a British politician who held several important Cabinet posts in the second half of the 18th century...
. He served as Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
and Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
. Townshend was the son of the Hon. Thomas Townshend, second son of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend
Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend
Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend Bt, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman. He served for a decade as Secretary of State, directing British foreign policy...
, whose eldest son Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend
Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend
Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend , known as Lord Lynn from 1723 to 1738, was a British politician....
is the ancestor of the Marquesses of Townshend
Marquess Townshend
Marquess Townshend is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain held by the Townshend family of Raynham Hall in Norfolk. This family descends from Roger Townshend, who in 1617 was created a Baronet, of Raynham in the County of Norfolk, in the Baronetage of England. He later represented Orford and...
. Townshend was also a female-line great-great-grandson of Lady Lucy Sydney, daughter of Robert Sydney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, hence his choice of title.
Lord Sydney was succeeded by his son, the second Viscount. He represented Newport
Newport (Isle of Wight) (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport was a parliamentary borough located in Newport , which was abolished in for the 1885 general election. It was occasionally referred to by the alternative name of Medina....
and Whitchurch
Whitchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Whitchurch was a parliamentary borough in the English County of Hampshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1586 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. On his death the titles passed to his son, the aforementioned third Viscount, who was created Earl Sydney in 1874.
The Australian city of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
is named after the first Viscount Sydney.
Viscounts Sydney (1789)
- Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount SydneyThomas Townshend, 1st Viscount SydneyThomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney PC , was a British politician who held several important Cabinet posts in the second half of the 18th century...
(1733–1800) - John Thomas Townshend, 2nd Viscount SydneyJohn Townshend, 2nd Viscount SydneyJohn Thomas Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney of St Leonards was a British peer.He was the son of Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney of St Leonards and Elizabeth Powys. On 13 April 1790 he married Hon. Sophia Southwell, daughter of Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford. They had one child;*Hon...
(1764–1831) - John Robert Townshend, 3rd Viscount SydneyJohn Townshend, 1st Earl SydneyJohn Robert Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney GCB, PC , known as The Viscount Sydney between 1831 and 1874, was a British Liberal politician...
(1805–1890) (created Earl Sydney in 1874)
Earls Sydney (1874)
- John Robert Townshend, 1st Earl SydneyJohn Townshend, 1st Earl SydneyJohn Robert Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney GCB, PC , known as The Viscount Sydney between 1831 and 1874, was a British Liberal politician...
(1805–1890)
See also
- Marquess TownshendMarquess TownshendMarquess Townshend is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain held by the Townshend family of Raynham Hall in Norfolk. This family descends from Roger Townshend, who in 1617 was created a Baronet, of Raynham in the County of Norfolk, in the Baronetage of England. He later represented Orford and...
- Baron BayningBaron BayningBaron Bayning, of Foxley in the County of Berkshire, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1797 for the politician Charles Townshend. He was the son of William Townshend, third son of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend and the cousin of Thomas Townshend, 1st...
- Earl of Leicester (1618 creation)Earl of LeicesterThe title Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century in the Peerage of England , and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837.-Early creations:...